Brick-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. BROWN. BRICK MACHINE.

N0.349,4'77. Patented Sept. 21, 1886.

1/9 Uta wows g h I 1 A?! attOKJ I e1 8 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. W. BROWN.

BRICK MAGHINE.

No. 349,477. Patented Sept. 21, 1886.

.0. /a a1 a/ o /7 MIME l vitwezmga I gwvawtoz v 351 attozmews v UNITEDSTATES 'v PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BROWN, OF PADUOAH, KENTUCKY.

BRICK-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,477, datedSeptember 21, 1886.

Application filed March 9, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JAMES W. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Paducab, in the county of McCracken and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Machines,ofwhich the following is a-full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speci-'fication, in which- Figure 1 represents a front perspective view of abrick-machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectionalview of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper cap ortransverse plate. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the movable boxing forthe rear transverse shaft. Fig. 5 is a modification, to be hereinafterdescribed. I

My invention relates to reciprocating brickmachines; and the sameconsists in'the construction and combination of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willnow describe its construction and indicate the manner in which I havecarried it out.

1 In the said drawings,A represents a suitable frame, in which theseveral operating mechanisms of my press are mounted. This frame Aconsists, essentially, of two side pieces, be-

. tween which is secured a rectangular or other shaped box, B, forming achamber, in which the clay is thoroughly mixed, and from which it isdischarged, as I shall hereinafter explain. In the construction of thisbox or mixing chamber I have found it desirable to have one or more ofits sides removably secured,whereby the operator may adjust theagitator-arms, or clean the interior of the chamber, or free it ofstones or other incompressible substances, should such be found therein.A shaft, 0,

passes vertically through the center of the box, and through a suitablestufling-box, c, and has secured thereon the arm or agitators a, whichare designed to engage the mass of clay and thoroughly mix the same,while on the lower end of the shaft and beneath the box is secured agear-wheel, b, to which power is applied to rotatethe shaft and arms.The sides A of the frame are connected with each other by a transversecap, D, the central por- Sorial No. 194,544. (No model.)

' tion of .Which is open to permit the free passage of the clay as itleaves the hopper. This cap also furnishes a bearing for aninternallyplaced gear-wheel, c, it being confined within the cap by aplate, (1, to which the hopper e is attached. This plate (I is providedwith standards f, in which is mounted the shaft 9 of the drum E, aroundwhich is passed the apron or carrier F, for delivering. the clay to thehopper. The shaft galso carries a gearwheel, h, which meshes with thegear-wheel c and rotates the same, whereby the plate (I rotates on itscentral hub and enables the hopper to be turned to any angle, or toadjust itself with relation to the direction of the travel of the apronor carrier. This is an important feature in the construction of a brick-machine, as it permits the receiving end of the apronto be shifted fromone point to another without causing a similar change in the position ofthe machine, as the hopper readily and automatically adjusts itself, sothat the belt or apron, will always register with the mouth of thehopper.

To hold the plate 01 to its seat against the cap, I employ small clips,2 through which set-screws 3 may be passed, as shown.

At the rear of the machine the sides A of the frame are extended andprovided with journal-boxes 5 and. 6,:for the transverse driveshaft H,having secured thereon an eccentric, I, to which is attached, by astrap-connection, the pitman K, the forward end of which is attached toand operates the plunger L, as shown in Fig. 2. This plunger L,reciprocates within a chamber, 7, formed between the bottom plate, 8,of the box B, and a partition, 9, located immediately beneath saidbottom, and during the reciprocating movements of the press operatesupon the clay as it passes through the opening 10 in the plate 8, andcompresses said clay, in the manner I will hereinafter indicate.

Motion is imparted to the several operating mechanisms through adrive-pulley, Z, secured to one end of a transverse shaft, 11, journaledwithin the sides A. lhis shaft also carries with an idle-gear, 14, on ashaft, m, as shown in Fig. l.

The main shaft H has keyed or otherwise secured to one of its ends alarge gear-wheel, M, with which the gear 14 meshes, whereby the power ofthe pulley Z is transmitted directly to the gear M through the medium ofthe gears 13 and 14; as before described.

The journal-box 6 adjacent to the gearwheel M comprises a movable box orbearing, a, whereby said shaft may be moved horizontally to disengagethe gear M with the gear 14. This important feature is necessary torelieve the press of the great strain that would be brought uponit inthe event of some hard incompressible substance finding its way to thechamber 7 during the movements of the plunger, and this feature isaccomplished by means of a lever, N, fulcrumed at 15 to a lug, 16,projecting from the frame, as shown in Fig. 1. The lever N is mounted onthe shaft H, and extends to the front of the machine, so as to be withineasy reach of the operator, who, when he discovers the presence ofstones or other hard substances, raises the lever N, which movementcauses the box 6 to slide on its guide, carrying with it the shaft H,thereby moving the gear M from its engagement with the gear 14, andchecking the further movement of the eccentric I and plunger K.

The sides A at the front of the machine are provided with grooves o, inwhich vertically slides the shaper P, the upper portions of which areattached by links 17 to the oscillating arms 18, pivoted at or near thecenter of the frame, as shown in Fig. 1. This shaper P is provided withprojecting lugs 19, between which slides a fender, 20, and between theselugs, in the body of the shaper, are formed openings 21, whoseconfiguration is approximately that of a brick, but whose dimensionsareslightlyless than the openings in the mold. It will be observed thatthe lower portion of these openings is provided with knife-edges, thepurpose of which is to sever the clay that has been forced into saidopenings in both shaper and mold by the plunger. By making the openingsin the shaper slightly less than those in the mold it is evident theclay is shaped and readily enters said mold without touching the sidesof the same. The further movement of the plunger causes the clay to beforced into every portion of the mold and without disturbing the sandtherein contained when molding sanded brick. At the rear the arms 18 areconnected by links 22 to a verticallysliding frame, 23, having boxes 24formed thereon, adapted to contain weights,

whereby the shaper is counterbalanced and caused to move upwardly tosever the clay, as I will presently describe. The frame 23 is providedwith a projecting lug or lip, 25, and

the shaft H has I mounted thereon a cam-segment, 26, which, during therevolution of said shaft, is designed to engage the lip 25 and raise theframe 23 and boxes 24 upwardly. This movement of the frame 23, throughthe agency of the arms 18, affects the position of the shaper P, andcauses said shaper to descend to permit the clay to be forced throughthe openings 21 by .the plunger L. As soon as the plunger has completedits forward movement, it will be found the segment has rotated until thepoint 27 has engaged the end of thelug 25, when a slight onward movementcauses the lug to be released from its engagement with the segment, whenthe weighted frame 23 immediately falls. This movement forces the shaperupward and severs the clay that had previously been forced through theopenings 21.

Between the sides and at the lower portion of the frame A is pivotallysecured a forked lever or receiver, It, the forward end of which carriesa plate, 28, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This receiver is preferably acounterbalanced frame, having at its rear an inclined lug or lip, 29,which is engaged by a cam, 30, secured to the segment 26, whereby duringthe rotation of the segment the cam 30 strikes against the lip 29 anddepresses the rear end of the lever or receiver R. The forward end ofthe lever is now raised, and the pallets which are placed upon the plate28, and which receive the burned-out bricks, are brought directlybeneath the mold after the latter has received the clay and the samehasbeen compressed. If it be desired to use the ordinary yard molds withbottoms, the front of the receiver may be elevated, when the lug 29 willnot be affected by the rotation of the segment.

The mold, S, used in the present instance is provided with openingscorresponding with, but slightly larger than, the openings in theshaper, and has projecting ends 30, serving as a shaft by which the moldmay be made to describe arcs of circles in receiving and depositing theclay. One end of I the shaft 30 is provided with acrank-arm, 31, havinga wristpin projecting therefrom, and to which is attached the forwardslotted end of a lever, T,

- fulcrumed upon-a stud, 32, projecting from the frame A. This leverTishinged or jointed at 1',

while its rear end, s, is weighted and camshaped, and is designed to beengaged by a pin, i, projecting from the gear-wheel M, whereby when saidpin engages the cam-shaped ends it raises said end. At the same time theforward end is depressed and the mold forced from a vertical to ahorizontal position upon the plate 28 or interposed pallet. The rear endof theleverTis provided with a spring, a, the free end of which bearsagainst the lever in front ofits hinge-joint. This spring forms ayielding connection between the two parts of the lever, and permits thecam-shaped end to be raised by the pin without straining the levershould there be any obstruction or derangement to the several parts ofthe machine, such as a rock in the shaper, 85c.

' In Fig. 5 is illustrated a mold-case which is designed to receive awooden mold-frame for holding sanded brick.

The operation of the machine is substantially as follows: The clay fromthe bank is delivered on the carrier F and deposited in themixing-chamber through the hopper. From thence it passes into thechamber 7. where it is operated upon by the plunger. The shaper is thencaused to descend by the segment 26 and lip until its openings alignthemselves with the openings in the mold, the clay being forced throughthe openings 21 into the mold. The lever T, nowbeing operated upon bythe pin, forces the mold downward upon the pallet placed to receive thebricks, the receiver or lever B having in the meantime raised the plate28 and pallet upward, so that the mold will find a seat upon the plateor its pallet.

By means of the construction herein de scribed I am enabled to provide acompact substantial machine, and one in which the power applied to theseveral mechanisms is rendered more effective than in many of themachines now in use for similar purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a brick-machine, a hopper mounted 011 a rotating plate and adaptedto be auto matically adjusted to different angles, substantially asherein described.

2. In a brick-machine, a cap or top plate having a rotating platesecured thereon, in. combination with a hopper secured to said rotatingplate and a drum and apron or carrier for automatically adjusting saidplate and delivering the clay to the hopper, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. In a brick-machine, the frames A, shaft 0, and a box or receptacle,B, in combinationwith a cap or top plate, D, a plate, (I, mounted torotate on said shaft, an internally-placed gear-wheel, c, the drum E,supported on the rotating plate, the gear-wheel h, engaging the gear 0,and the belt or carrier F, substantially as herein described.

4. In a briclcmachine, a vcrtically-moving shaper having openingsapproximating the form and size of a brick, in combination with aweighted frame at the rear of the machine connected with andcounterbalaneing the shaper, substantially as herein described.

5. In a brick-machine, a vertically-moving shaper having openings formedtherein, in combination with aframe connected with and counter-balancingthe shaper, and a cam engaging a lug or lip on the counterbalanced frameand operating the shaper, substantially as herein described.

6. In abrick-machine, the sides A, having guides 0, and the box B, incombinationwith a vertically-moving shaper havingopenings therein, thearms 18, pivoted to the sides, the links 17 and 22, and a frame havingthe weighted bars, substantially as herein described.

7. In a brick-machine, the sides A and the box B, in combination withashaper, I, at the front of the machine, having openings formed therein,and a weighted frame at the rear of the machine connected with andoperating the shaper, substantially as herein described.

8. In a brick-maehine,the sides A and boX B, in combination with thetransverse shaft H, mounted in the rear of the frame,the camsegment 26on said shaft, the weighted frame 23, having a lug or lip, 25, and theshaper P, substantially as herein described.

9. In a brick-machine, the side pieces, A, and the box or receptacle B,in combination with the transverse shaft H, the cam-segment 26,theweighted frame 23, having a lug or lip, 25, projecting therefrom, theshaper 1?, connected with and operated by the segment and weightedframe, the eccentric I, mounted on the shaft H, the plunger L, and thepitman K, substantially as herein described.

10. In abriekqnachinathe side pieces, A,and

the box or receptacle B, in combination with.

the transverse shaft H, the segment 26,having a cam, 30, formed thereon,the pivotally-secured lever or receiver R, having a lug, 29, and theplate 28 on the forward portion of the lever, substantially as hereindescribed.

11. In a brick-machine, the sides A and the box or receptacle B, incombination with a pivoted mold adapted to describe arcs of circles andto receive and deposit the clay, and a mechanism comprising the pivotedlever T and its adjuncts, whereby the mold is auto matically operated,substantially as herein described.

12. In abrick-machine,thesidepieces, A,and

the box B, in combination with a vertically moving shaperhaving afender, 20, attached thereto, having a crank-arm,3l, a cam-lever,T,connected with said arm, the wheel M, having a pin engaging the saidlever and operating the mold, and an oscillating mold, substantially asherein described.

13. In a brick-machine, the combination, with the side pieces, A, andbox B, of the vertically-moving shaper having a fender, an oscillatingmold,a pivotally-secured verticallymoving lever or receiver,thetransverse shaft H, having a segment mounted thereon, and a cam, 30,on the segment adapted to engage a lug on the lever, substantially asherein described.

14. In a brick-machine,the frame A,in combination with the transverseshaft H, the gears 13, 14, and M, a movable bearing for one end of theshaft H, and a lever, N, for forcing the gear. M from its-engagementwith the gear 14,

substantially as herein described.

JAMES \V. BROWN.

Witnesses:

T. W ALTER FOWLER, H. B. APPLEWHAITE.

